New York, NY, –– The American Australian Association is pleased to announce The Beverley Art Writers Travel Grant (The Beverley) is open in the 2025 application round to support American journalists and writers to travel to Australia to explore and report on the wealth of Australian visual arts culture. Now in its fourth year, The Beverley is the result of a partnership between the Association and Australian expatriate John Melick, founder of Blue Medium, a New York-based art and design public relations firm. This round of grant applications is open now through Monday, March 31 and will be awarded in May 2025.
The Beverley will be administered by the American Australian Association. A grant selection committee—comprised of art world professionals and writers with a working or personal connection to the visual arts community in Australia—will award The Beverley each year. Last year, the committee selected Aruna D’Souza to receive the 2024 Beverley Art Writers Travel Grant. Aruna will be in conversation with 2023 grantee Lauren O’Neill-Butler on Wednesday, March 12 at AAA headquarters in Manhattan.
The committee members for the 2025 grant cycle are: Mark Hughes, Founder of Mark Hughes Art Advisory (Sydney, Australia); Rachel Kent, Chief Executive Officer of Bundanon (Illaroo, Australia); Phillipa McGuinness, Editor, Openbook (Sydney, Australia); Lauren O’Neill-Butler, arts writer, critic, and founder of November Magazine (New York, NY); and Trevor Smith, Associate Director of The Peabody Essex Museum (Salem, MA).
The grantee will be at liberty to set their own itinerary, is required to spend at least two weeks in Australia (preferably longer) and must complete their trip within nine months of being awarded the grant. The grantee will also be invited to report on their experience at an event hosted (either virtually or in person) by the Association within two months of their return. The Beverley is intended to support the career and practice of the grantee. While there is no obligation to generate articles as a result of the travel, coverage is welcomed.
“Art has the power to connect cultures, spark dialogue, and deepen our understanding of one another”, explained Steven Marshall, President of the American Australian Association. “The Beverley Travel Grant supports emerging and established American art writers in experiencing Australia’s dynamic arts landscape firsthand, fostering cross-cultural exchange and fresh perspectives. We are proud to support this opportunity for writers to engage with Australia’s rich artistic traditions and contemporary creative voices.”
The name of the grant is in honor of the grant founder’s mother, Beverley Joan Melick (née van Eerde), who currently resides in New South Wales, Australia. According to John Melick, “as a painter and designer, my mother has inspired me to pursue a career in the visual arts in the US and globally. As a public relations professional, I’ve witnessed a reduction in media travel budgets that has also led to less cultural exchange and coverage of my home country’s art. This is a modest way to have a positive impact on free, independent and exceptional art journalism from the US while also benefiting Australia more broadly.”
To apply for The Beverley, please visit here.
Background:
The American Australian Association is the leading privately funded nonprofit organization dedicated to deepening and strengthening cooperation and understanding between the institutions and people of the United States and Australia. Since 2002, the Association’s philanthropic scholarship and grant programs have awarded over US$18 million to more than 1,100 graduates, veterans, and artists. This investment has contributed to further advancing the careers of the next generation of leaders, developing international networks and generating solutions that address the global issues of our time.
Website – www.americanaustralian.org